Pain In Your Eyes
by Poetoflife14
Summary: Toboe catches a bad fever from an injury. The pack must take care of him, while coming to the realization that their little wolf has become strong. Rated for graphic illness and man cuddles. New Chapter up!
1. Pain of the Body

Hey guys

Hey guys! My first Wolf's Rain fic, and it's of my beloved Toboe! I have always loved Toboe's loyal nature, and his determination. However, in this story his determination might get him in trouble! Poor Toboe , but I love it when you need to be taken care of! Anyway on to the disclaimer!

P.S. No one has pointed it out to me yet, but I wanted to say that, yes, I know the wolves are wolves all the time, and have human illusions, but their transforming into humans worked a lot better with this story, so I did that.

Disclaimer: The only thing I own is the plot line I suppose, though its been done many times in different ways. I wish I owned Wolf's Rain though! What fun I would have with Toboe…..Be afraid!

Golden, baleful eyes stared up at the red moon, rising just out of reach. The frigid air whipped his short brown fur, blowing the gentle white snow flakes around. Toboe could feel the traitorous heat in his face, telling him of the fever he had managed to hide for the last few nights. About three days previous, he had managed to step on a jagged rock, slicing his paw all the way open. He could have let the pack know, he could have complained. If they had known, he would have been sleeping now, instead of standing guard. If they had known, he would have been getting better. Instead, he was steadily getting worse.

His long tongue lolled out of his mouth, as he began to pant with the exertion of keeping awake. He wanted so badly to close his eyes, to slip away into dreamless, solid sleep…

_No! The pack trusts me to keep watch. I have to protect them. They would only worry if I fell asleep. I can't burden them._

Toboe sat, managing to keep himself awake, until the sun broke the horizon. His sight was blurred and unfocused, his veins boiling with fever. The distant sound of the others waking up pounded in his head. He shifted to human form, but regretted it quickly. The transformation caused his stomach to lurch, and he knew he needed to get away from the peering eyes of his pack.

"Morning, guys. I-I'm going to go hunt. Be right back."

Hige nodded sleepily, and his stomach growled loudly.

"Bring some back for us will ya, Chibi?"

Toboe nodded quickly, his head pounded from the motion, and ran out into the snow. Once out of sight he collapsed on his knees, feeling the bile rising in his throat. Gagging, tears forming in his eyes, his stomach emptied. He coughed, and swallowed come clean snow to cleanse his mouth of the taste. Now he really did need to hunt. He struggled to his feet, and changed into a beautiful brown wolf. The snowy landscape stretched on forever, giving the small wolf a sense of hopelessness. Luckily, the wind blew scents around him, and he quickly picked up the smell of pray. He followed the stale sent of hare to a nearby burrow. Digging down, he found three small starving snow hares huddled together. He killed them quickly.

Trotting over the hill to the cave, the three rabbits dangling in his mouth, Toboe heard Tsume and Kiba talking. They turned and saw him, ending their conversation. Toboe placed the hares at Tsume's feet, backing away.

"Good work, runt. I'm surprised you weren't scared of them," Tsume chuckled, coldly. Toboe's ears flattened in disappointment and shame. He hated being scolded, but Tsume's teasing was the worst. He knew Tsume cared about him, but he had a funny way of showing it…

Hige bounded over to the pile of meat and took one happily. He consumed it quickly and sat back against the cave wall in human form, a look of satisfaction on his face. Kiba walked over and inclined his head thankfully to Toboe and took a hare as well. He placed it on a rock, and ate it carefully, savoring it. Tsume took the last hare and walked to the back of the cave.

"Uh, Tsume…," Toboe began, planning to ask for a piece of the hare.

"What is it, runt?" Tsume snapped, looking down at Toboe. Toboe tucked his tail between his legs, his stomach hurt so bad…

"Nothing, Tsume…Just…enjoy it."

Tsume looked at the pup a bit confused at this remark, but sat down and ate the hare just as quickly as Hige. Kiba watched him eat, waiting for him to finish.

"We need to keep going. We've stayed too long anyway."

Hige and Tsume got up obediently, Hige stretching before transforming. Toboe nodded and followed Kiba out of the cave. They started off at once, Toboe quickly falling behind. Determined to keep up, he gave an extra burst of speed and caught up to Tsume, who trailed just behind the others. Toboe kept up the pace for miles, and the sun soon began to set. Kiba looked back to check on the pack.

"We need to run through the night, we can't risk falling to far behind Cheza and the Noble."

Hige and Tsume accepted this proposal without hesitation, and, determined not to be burdensome, Toboe followed suit. Toboe's stomach ached with hunger, and his head throbbed angrily. Yet somehow he managed to match pace with Tsume.

Night came slowly to the young wolf, who wished only for the light of morning, and the promise of a meal, and maybe some rest. He was now struggling to keep up with the older wolves, his chest tight, and vision blurred. Black dots danced in front of his eyes, as he ran on through the night.

Hour after hour, he fell further and further behind, until he could hardly see the blurry gray dot that was Tsume. His pain finally overcame him and he slumped to the ground, defeated.

Tsume was the first to notice the small wolf's disappearance. He sped up to Kiba, and stopped him.

"Toboe fell behind. We have to go back and find him!"

Kiba spat in frustration, but nodded, concerned. The three ran back. Tsume pictured the small wolf's smile. He would laugh. "_I fell_," He'd say, and then get up and run with them. Tsume knew, a gut instinct perhaps, that this was definitely not what happened. Yet, it was reassuring to picture it in his mind.

The small slumped form of the brown wolf appeared in the snow and Tsume ran to him, adrenaline rushing. The pup was breathing heavily, short, uneven breaths.

"Oi. Chibi. Wake up," Tsume demanded, shaking him; it would be easier to help him if he was in human form.

Toboe opened his large amber eyes and stared up at the blurry outline of a man. The man smelled like Tsume, and his hands felt warm like Tsume's too. Toboe shifted to his frail human body, anticipating what Tsume wanted. The older wolf unbuttoned Toboe's shirt, letting it fall open and reveal the pale, stretched skin beneath. Toboe's ribs showed through his lean muscle, and bruises appeared on the side on which he had fallen. Tsume rolled his onto his back, but Toboe's stomach rejected the motion, causing him to roll back over and vomit what was left in his empty stomach.

Tsume realized how sick Toboe was, and perspiration broke out on his brow. The kid was dehydrated and starved. Hadn't the runt eaten this morning? He remembered Toboe's odd hesitant comment. Had he taken Toboe's food?

Hige and Kiba crouched down beside Toboe, but Kiba read the look on Tsume's face and signaled to Hige that they should be left alone.

Tsume felt Toboe's forehead and immediately withdrew his head. The boy was burning with fever. How was this possible? The answer came as Toboe struggled to get up. His hand left a small red spot in the snow.

"Toboe, let me see your hand."

Toboe obeyed silently, and fell back down, holding his hand out to Tsume. The slice stretched from the base of the boy's pointer finger to his wrist, and was hard and swollen.

Tsume was panicking. He gently rolled Toboe onto his stomach, and lifted him onto his back.

Toboe needed help, and fast.

Me: Well that was lovely, don't you think? A bit of drama from Toboe and Tsume. I should have the next chapter up soon, it is entitled "Pain of the Heart". Thanks for the reviews so far, and please do your part to help make the author happy. It's just one little review away!


	2. Pain of the Heart

Poet: Hey guys! I love this chapter so I'm going to skip the chit-chat. I don't own Wolf's Rain!

Tsume was too worried to feel exhaustion. He was too worried too care that Kiba and Hige had fallen far behind him, due to his adrenaline-fueled pace. He was too worried about the small boy who clung to his back, burying his pale face in the gray wolf's fur. Tsume could feel how cold Toboe's body was. The boy was as cold as the unforgiving snow that blew around them. He was thankful when the pup's body began to draw heat from his own.

Still, he worried about frostbite. Carrying Toboe would have been a lot harder were he in wolf form; however, as a human, the boy was extremely vulnerable. Tsume cursed as he crossed over a hill and saw miles and miles of flat, snow covered ground.

"We're stopping!"

Kiba and Hige caught up to Tsume, and the stone wolf took on the appearance of a buff young man, his smooth muscle caged in tight leather. The pack walked down the slope together, not expecting the sheer drop that was hidden beneath snow. Kiba walked down ahead of Tsume, due to habit, when the snow beneath his foot suddenly gave way, plunging him downward. He was falling head first, his back facing the rock face, yet in a single moment, he twisted around, using momentum to grab onto the rock, and stop his fall. He slowly worked his way down the sheer rock, until he could leap to the ground.

The rest of the pack climbed down, learning from Kiba's misfortune, and they soon stood at the base of a fifteen foot cliff. Hige walked over to Kiba and removed a sore hand from his sweater, placing it on Kibs'a shoulder.

"Be more careful, will ya, Kiba? You scarred my fur off…."

Kiba was silent, but nodded his head. The pack began to search for a cave in the cliff. About ten minutes later, they managed to locate what appeared to be a large crack near the base of the rock. Kiba volunteered to venture inside, and found that after crawling to get in, he could stand. The cave looked big enough for them all to fit, though not that comfortably. For now, this would do. It was well hidden, and would be guarded by at least one of them at all times. Kiba crawled back out, satisfied.

Tsume was the next to enter, followed by Toboe, who was more or less dragged gently through the crawl space. Tsume laid him flat on the ground and checked all of the boy's vital signs. He was alive, thank goodness.

"Kiba! Hige!" The older wolf called out, hoping the others could hear him over the roaring wind. Hige poked his head into the entrance.

"Yeah?"

"You and Kiba go hunt, and don't come back unless you have food to spare. I...we need to nurse him back to health."

"Right. See ya, Tusme."

Hige's head disappeared to be replaced by silence. Tsume decided that this was going to take awhile, so he made himself comfortable, leaning against the rock wall. He look back at the small boy, wondering how he had managed to run all day, and most of the night, as sick as he was. His hand too. How had he managed to hide it so well? Did he have practice hiding wounds from the other wolves? Perhaps he was working much harder then he appeared to be.

"And I bet my attitude never helped, did it?" He muttered to himself. It was painful, watching Toboe shake with cold, and sweat with fever, knowing it was partly his fault. Tsume reached down and pick up the pup, cradling his head against his chest. Toboe's shivering body calmed, and he snuggled into the warmth. Tsume wrapped his arms protectively around the small body, and let his pained heart consume him. A small line of tears ran down his cheek, onto Toboe's forehead. The pup opened his eyes.

"Tsume!" He yelped. "I'm so sorry. I-"

His words cut off when he realized that Tsume was crying. He reached up and brushed away the older wolf's tears.

"Don't worry about me." Toboe smiled. "I'm strong."

"Yeah," Tsume sighed, holding the boy tight. "You are."

Meanwhile, Kiba and Hige were in luck. They had wandered into a snowy white forest clearing, where a small herd of moose plodded around grazing. Kiba crouched low along the trees, blending in with the snow. He snuck soundlessly around to one of the smaller moose, preparing for the attack. Hige had set his sights on the leader of the herd.

Two snarls ripped through the silence of the clearing, scattering the moose. Hige latched onto the herd leader, fighting hard, and Kiba pounced on the small moose. The moose bucked and bashed Kiba repeatedly against a tree, flailing its half-grown antlers at the snowy wolf. It fought just as hard as the bigger moose, fighting even as Kiba's teeth closed around its throat. Kiba heard Hige bring the larger moose to the ground, just before the small moose fell.

Kiba looked sadly down at the small moose. Somehow, all he had thought of during the fight was Toboe. Toboe was the smallest, yet this small moose had fought longer and harder then the pack leader. Size had nothing to do with power.

Hige and Kiba ripped into the bigger moose, ripping slabs of meat from the carcass. The moose itself was much to big to move, but the meat could be dragged back. The two wolves kicked snow on the smaller moose until it was a dune in the middle of the clearing. They sank their teeth into large slabs of meat, and dragged as much as they could back to the cliff.

They were well received. Tsume complained about how long they had been gone, but upon seeing all the meat they had gotten, thanked them repeatedly. He woke Toboe, and encouraged the small boy to eat. Toboe didn't eat much, for fear of being ill, and wasting all the delicious meat, but the other's assured him that there was much more. He ate with gusto, savoring the sweet moose meat at the same time.

Soon the pack was full, and Kiba lay outside, guarding the crevice. Hige had gone to sleep during dinner, his full stomach and the warm cave quickly dropping him into dreams. Tsume slept with Toboe on his lap, his arms wrapped around the boy to protect him, even as he slept, should anything threaten to hurt him.

Poet: Well there you go! Such a heart-warming little addition to my story! Big thank yous and cyber cookies to all my lovely reviewers!

Next time, "Pain of the Soul". Tsume finally is able to start helping Toboe heal, but when Tsume finds evidence of all the wounds Toboe has hidden, his heart breaks. Will helping Toboe be too much of a guilt trip for the pack, or will they learn to be strong like the little wolf?

Stay tuned and Please Review!


	3. Pain of the Soul

Me: I'm baaack!!! Yes, I know, it's been months since I've been on, but you can thank my awesome boyfriend for giving me the Wolf's Rain manga for Christmas, and getting my creative mind going. And I have to say, you guys are awesome. This is now my most reviewed story at 26! Let's see if we can make 50 by the time it's done! On to the Toboe whumpage!

Disclaimer: I don't own Wolf's Rain.

The sunrise broke over the snowy hills, the pastel lights reflected like a million chards of crystal over the plain. Kiba opened a sleepy eye, shifting around in the snow outside the cave. He gracefully rose to his feet, stretching out stiff legs. He yawned, and trotted off to the clearing where the moose meat was buried, and grabbed a large slab, dragging it back for breakfast.

In the cave, Hige stirred, blinking a few times and rubbing his eyes. He saw the footsteps leading away from the cave and knew Kiba had already gone for food. He settled back against the rock and watched Tsume and Toboe sleep. The older wolf leaned against the hard rock of the cave, while Toboe slept comfortably, his head buried in the crook of Tsume's arm. Today would be an interesting day, though Hige knew Tsume was dreading it as much as he was. Today they were going to access Toboe, and try to come up with a plan that would allow Toboe to heal properly, without losing that much time.

Kiba squeezed through the small opening, and Hige trotted over to sniff Kiba's muzzle, which still smelled of the fresh meat that was waiting outside the cave. Kiba turned away from the contact after a second, and Hige sensed the anxiety in Kiba's actions. He was in no mood to be playful. With every passing minute, they grew further and further behind Cheza and the Noble. Kiba paced back and forth in the limited space, the tension in the air growing thicker. He finally walked over and nudged Tsume awake.

"We need to get going. Please do what you need to do with Toboe quickly. I fear we're going to fall too far behind the Noble to catch up."

Tsume nodded, and gently set Toboe down on the ground. His hand had been bandaged, and was looking a little better, but for it to fully heal Tsume would have to carry Toboe for a while. He couldn't run on it. Tsume quickly took off the small boy's shirt, and folded it into a soft pad, placing it beneath Toboe's head. He ran his fingers along the bruised ribs, applying light pressure. None of them seemed broken; he breathed a sigh of relief. However, he noticed on the other side one rib seemed to be out of place, or maybe broken. Touching it gently, he discovered it had been broken. However, it had set wrong due to lack of care.

"Did Toboe break any ribs recently?" Tsume growled to the others. He was furious. How could they have not told him Toboe was injured?

"No." Tsume turned to look at Kiba. Tsume's face was a thin mask, covering the fear that had grown in his eyes.

"His rib was broken. I can tell. It set wrong!" Tsume snarled with anger. At what? Himself?

"Toboe hasn't been injured since that bear attack two months ago. At least, not they we knew about."

Kiba's words echoed in Tsume's head. How many times had the runt gotten hurt and not told him? How many times had Tsume been blind to see the pain in Toboe's eyes? How many times had Tsume sat there poking fun at the small wolf in front of him, while Toboe suffered?

How many times was it Tsume's fault?

Tears threatened to melt away his perfect mask, the anger in his chest threatened to explode. So he ran. He ran, leaving the small boy behind, lying there. Out of the cave, over the hill, through the clearing, he ran. The cold, dry air stung his eyes and made them water, and spill over. They were not tears, no. He would not cry, would not admit he had done anything wrong. Toboe was afraid. Afraid to tell them when he was hurt, hungry, or tired. What had he done to make the boy that way? He hadn't been that way in the beginning. Tsume remembered meeting him in that alley, the shocked face that turned into excitement that danced in the amber eyes. He had never met another wolf before, he said. He wanted to be with Tsume. Tsume was his friend. _What kind of friend am I now?_ Tsume thought angrily, slowing his pace. He sat down to catch his breath, wondering where he was. But he could not think of that for long. His thoughts rested on the image of the small boy, vulnerable and frail in his arms. Trusting him.

Toboe woke up, his back against the cold stone of the cave floor. He shivered. He noticed his pant legs were rolled up, and bandaged covered the hidden gashes of his past mistakes. The ones he had hidden. Hige sat next to him, guilt on his face. Yet something was missing. Warmth, protection…

"Where's Tsume?" he rasped, the words scrapping against his sandpaper throat. Hige looked up, and came to his senses slowly, starring at the pale boy.

"Toboe!" Hige shouted. "You're awake! Do you want some water, or food? Are the bandages wrapped to tight? Are you cold?" Hige seemed to notice his over-exuberance and quieted.

"Why didn't you tell us, Chibi?" He whispered solemnly.

Toboe shook his head apologetically.

"I didn't want to burden you guys. They're just scratches anyway."

"Yeah, and scratches can get infected. Besides don't give me that. You weren't eating much either."

"I'm sorry Hige, I never meant for this to happen, okay? I was trying to be strong, and not complain. Like Tsume."

"Well Tsume's not stupid! He would've told us if he split his paw open!"

Toboe cringed at the harsh implication of Hige's words. Then he remembered. He had fallen asleep in Tsume's arms. But now…

"Where's Tsume?" He asked again. This time standing up, and turning to Kiba, who leaned nonchalantly against the wall. Kiba just shrugged.

"He ran off when he saw what you did. I think it hurt him that you were too afraid of him to tell him."

"Afraid of him? He thinks I'm afraid of him?"

"I could tell by his face. He's blaming himself for your distance from the pack."

Toboe starred in disbelief. It was true that Tsume's remarks rubbed him the wrong way, but he would never be afraid of Tsume. Tsume was the only one who made him feel safe, whole, protected. He nodded his thanks to Hige and Kiba, pulling his shirt back on and rolling his pant legs back down. Then, he was gone.

He had to find Tsume.

Me: Done! Wasn't that some lovely angst? The next Chapter will be entitled "Pain of Love". When Toboe finds Tsume in the woods, will the older wolf's broken heart refuse to mend? Or can Toboe show Tsume that the most painful thing he hid all this time was his love? Stay Tuned!


	4. Pain of Love

The forest breathed

The forest breathed. In and out. In and out. Tsume could feel the life of the forest. Like the rain falling softly to the ground, creating small pits in the snow cover, his own breath created small white clouds of condensation that punctuated the gray atmosphere. He sat in the snow, no longer feeling the chill of his surroundings. He exhaled with the forest, and placed his face in his hands.

Toboe. His Toboe. Had he scared the boy away? Had he been too careless? His careful stoic mask had turned into a desperate act to disguise himself.

"I don't love him." He lied to the trees, growling at his own tenacity. "He is just a pack member, of course I'm concerned about him."

Pulling his hands from his face, he stared at them. He had never realized it. They looked so empty.

A memory played before him, his hands remembering the warmth of the small wolf. Tsume reached out in front of him, reached out to the Toboe of his memory, wrapping his arms around the air. Tightening his grip he found himself holding his own chest, tightening his grip with frightening force. Holding himself together, if only for the moment, willing the Toboe before him to disappear.

A strangled sob broke in his heart, leaking out, until tears joined the rain, falling to the snowy ground. To think that all this time he could have held the boy, instead of discarding him with false anger, and self-frustration.

"No," Tsume choked out. "He wouldn't accept it. He wouldn't." He shook his head slowly, side to side. The lump in his throat threatened to suffocate him, and his head flung back as he howled.

Toboe ran through the forest, paws falling into the larger prints of his pack mate. His eyes locked with determination, he pushed forward through the rain. Without realizing it he sped up, fueled by the sound of a howl. Toboe's heart ached as the echoing pain penetrated his being. He knew it was Tsume. It was his voice, his desperation, and his soul in that cry of pain. He slowed as he saw the older man sitting on the forest floor, back against the trunk of a tree, head in his hands. He looked up at Toboe as the young wolf padded toward him, until he was in front of him. Strong arms reached out, taking hold of the young boy and bringing him into the warm of the older wolf's embrace.

"Tsume." The young wolf whispered closing his eyes, and breathing out in relief. Tsume did not respond, only held the young boy closer, as if in disbelief.

"Why did you come here?" Tsume whispered into the boy's ear. His voice was thick with grief, and Toboe's voice caught in his throat.

"I came for you, Tsume. I didn't want you to think I was afraid. I wasn't trying to hurt you, or anyone else. I was trying to be tougher, trying not to be a burden."

"You're not a burden, Toboe." The older wolf sighed. "You keep the pack together, and give us something to care for. If you weren't the clumsy cub we began our journey with, we would have been hardened by pride long ago."

Toboe stiffened in the silence that followed Tsume's words. There was more, he could tell. What was Tsume trying to say?

"So…I'm not a burden?"

"No, chibi. We…I…" Tsume placed his hand on the young boy's head and pulled him closer to his chest.

"Love you."

"Tsume…" The boy sighed. "Why didn't you tell me?" Tsume pulled the boy away to look him in the eyes. He searched the boy's face and found nothing but tenderness. This hadn't been what he thought would happen. No. Could the boy possibly?

"I love you too, Tsume. You didn't have to hide it all this time."

The tears came again, dissolving the cage he had built for his heart years ago. He pulled the boy back to his chest. He felt the boy's face break into a smile.

From now on he would listen to the younger wolf, and not just when he whimpered. He would listen to the silent signs, the actions, and, most of all, his smile. That goofy smile. It was the loudest thing Tsume had ever heard. For so long he had been deaf to hear it. But it screamed for him to hear,

"I love you."

AN: Well that is the end of this lovely fic. I'm sorry my updates took ages so often, but I change favorite animes like socks. However, these true classics always come back to me. I hope you liked it, and I would write more, but I fear my anime wandering would only bring you long waits. If you really do want more, I might write a few chapters about afterwards. Please review as always, and thanks for reading. Oh, and I don't own Wolf's Rain.


	5. Author's Note

Author's Note:

Author's Note:

Hey everybody! Sorry for the random author's note, but I wanted to let you all know I will be continuing this story when my school work load lets up. So stay tuned, and keep reviewing! Whenever you review Toboe gets cuddles!


	6. Pain of Frostbite?

AN: Hi guys! I know I've made you wait super long for this update, but I've been way too busy with college courses and all my regular high school courses as well. You have no idea how hectic my academic life is. Anyway, make way for the continuance!

--

Tsume wondered if happiness was a disease. It didn't hurt or make him uncomfortable, but it always crept up on him, and it was definitely contagious.

He had gotten used to smiling more often. It was hard not to with those big round eyes looking up at him like they're made of frickin' glitter. Kiba and Hige had been happy that Tsume and Toboe had finally realized their bond, if anything it made the pack stronger. Toboe didn't go anywhere without Tsume watching out for him.

"Oi! Toboe!"

Toboe looked up from where he had been play fighting with Tsume and trotted over to Hige, sitting with his head cocked to the side a bit. "Yeah?" Hige nodded his head over in Kiba's direction, where the alpha stood leaning against a tree. He had his eyes locked on the horizon. "What's wrong, Kiba?" The redhead asked, walked over to him. Kiba sighed and pushed off the tree, his hands in his pockets.

"We have to get going. We've lost too much time already. I told Tsume that, but he doesn't seem to pay much attention to anything but you these days."

Toboe felt a blush creeping up, and turned away from the raven haired man, running back over to his mate, and tackling him to the ground. They rolled a few times on the snow before Toboe found himself pinned down by the older man. Tsume smirked, and popped his head up to see if anyone was watching. Kiba seemed to be busy talking to Hige about something, and they had their backs turned. Tsume's grin grew wider, and he turned back to his love. Toboe's face was bright red, and he was biting his lip. That settled it. Tsume leaned down, imagining the soft feel of the boy's lips, and his little whimpers. Suddenly, a shadow covered the two of them, and Tsume pulled away, inwardly cursing, to see Kiba looking pissed. Apparently, he had actually expected Toboe to _do_ something about Tsume's lack of attention. Toboe scrambled to his feet and apologized. The only thing he could do was distract Tsume, and that happened without his intention most of the time.

"Come on, Tsume, let's go." The boy said, grabbing the man's leather clad arm and pulling him up.

"We'll be running for a few days through the night, so make sure if you need something, you tell someone, and we'll stop. We need to try to gain as much ground as we can, so let's pick up the pace!"

The four wolves ran off, Kiba and Hige pulling up the front, with Tsume and Toboe in the back. Toboe could tell Tsume was slowing himself to the small wolf's pace, but Toboe couldn't say he minded it. They ran through miles upon miles of snow, dead, wispy trees flying by, not another animal in sight. The sun went down quickly, replaced by the eerie glow of the moon. It started to snow, the cold tundra wind whipping it around the pack. Toboe couldn't even make Kiba out in front of him, half due to the snow stinging his eyes, and half to the camouflage the snow provided for the white wolf. Tsume was by the pup's side though, and didn't falter throughout the whole storm. The sun peaked over the horizon and the snow was lit up red and gold, as the wolves cut through it, making their way to the mountain peaks in the distance. Toboe lowered his head as he ran, closing his eyes against the brutal wind and scooping some snow up into his mouth, melting and drinking it. His teeth stung and he had a sudden experience of brain freeze, but he shook it off, and sped up, pushing forward to Kiba and Hige. As the day progressed Toboe watched the amount of snow dwindle, and he ran through the slush that had replaced it. The sun began to set again and Toboe wondered when they would stop. Where they were now, there would be no shelter if they were to stop. Toboe challenged himself to make it up the mountain. There would certainly be shelter there.

The moon lit up the mountain side as the wolves progressed up the winding trail to the summit. For a moment the moon was hidden behind the mountain and the path grew pitch black. Kiba warned everyone to stay away from the edge and stick together. Toboe pressed himself up against Tsume's side, and walked next to him until the moon came out again.

The third day of travel began, and the wolves were running again. They would run down the path of one mountain, before running up the path of the next. They never traveled all the way to the summit; that was unnecessary. They only traveled the shortest distance up and down the mountains. Kiba was in charge of determining the course.

On the third night, Toboe heard the wonderful noise of Kiba's orders to stop and find shelter for the night. It was a particularly bad storm tonight, he said, and he didn't want any wolves going over the edge. Sure, sure. The group split up to look for a cave of some sort, and Tsume and Toboe headed towards a small pass between two mountains. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a man made bridge, covered in years of snow. The snow didn't melt this high up, and this was by far the tallest mountain in the range. They still had about a mile and a half to go up the mountain, but already it was colder, and the air was thinner. However, if there was a bridge here there was probably an outpost somewhere. Humans sure knew when to prey off the needs of desperate travelers.

Tsume and Toboe headed up the mountain at a fast clip, eager to get to bed before the sun came up. The storm was even worse further up. The two wolves ran against the wind, which tore at their fur and eyes, filling their noses and mouths with snow. Toboe began to fall behind, and Tsume dropped back, pushing the pup onwards up the mountain.

About two thousand feet from the summit, Toboe slowed again, this time coming to a stop completely, gasping for breath. Tsume trotted back. "You alright, runt?" He yelled over the whistling of the wind. Toboe nodded, too breathless to answer back. He started again, running up the steep slope. They could see the small building about five hundred feet from the top. Tsume nudged the pup up the slope, motioning that he was going to go and get Kiba and Hige. Toboe nodded, continuing up. It was a lonely journey without Tsume there with him. He was only a few hundred feet from the building when he collapsed, his head spinning. He began to hyperventilate, his body trying to get the oxygen it needed to continue his grueling pace up the slope. If he had been able to gather any breath he would have cursed. He had learned a few words from Tsume, not that he had ever used them. He could see the outpost from here, the little wooden sign hanging from a single chain, the other one dangling off, broken by the cold and wind. Snow began to cover the pup's body and he fought to get up, his body convulsing with shivers. He slumped down on the ground again. Tsume would be here soon. After all, the older wolf didn't pay attention to much else then being with the timid redhead. He would be back soon. That was the only thought that kept the boy from falling asleep. He knew what happened when you feel asleep in the cold. And it wouldn't be a very good welcoming for Tsume.

--

Tsume found Hige and Kiba quickly. They had seen the bridge as well, and had begun to climb the slope up to the outpost. Discovering that they knew where they were going, Tsume ran back to be with his mate. The boy had him worried. If he had been in his human form, Tsume was sure the boy would be whiter then the snow they were trudging through. _Stupid_, he told himself, _if Toboe was in his human form he'd be purple by now_. That was a particularly uncomfortable thought, and Tsume sped up. He wondered if Toboe was bustling around inside the outpost, cleaning up the long abandoned building into something nice. God, he was such a girl. Tsume smiled. Nah, not a girl. Just a runt. His runt.

Tsume came to where he had left Toboe and sped up again, bounding up the slope to the small building. However, a pitiful whimper caught his ears and he turned to the snow bank along the cliff side. Tsume's heart stopped. Why was there a patch of copper fur in that pile of snow? Why did it sound so much like his Toboe? Tsume's mind wouldn't let him come to the conclusion that it was in fact his Toboe under that snow bank. A louder whine brought reality down upon him, and he ran over, kneeling in his human form and brushing the snow away from the pup. He picked the wolf up and felt Toboe snuggle into his arms, the boy assuming the form of a human as well. "Idiot. You'll get frost bite like that." But Tsume held him closer none the less, finding it much easier to carry the boy.

He kicked the door of the outpost open, his eyes taking in small rows of shelves with outdated supplies. A curtain hung behind the counter and Tsume hurried over, flinging it back to find a small living quarters. The owner had no doubt evacuated the building due to war or something urgent, because the room was still furnished. Tsume lay Toboe's shaking form down on the bed and pulled the blanket up to the boy's chin, tucking him in. He grabbed an old tea kettle, filling it with snow, and placing it on the stove. It took him a few tries, and a few swear words, to get the stove to light, but soon he had a pot of boiling water going on the burner. He kept himself busy sifting through the store's left over stock and tending to the boy.

--

When Kiba and Hige entered the small building they saw that stuff had been recently thrown from shelves, and they pulled back the curtain to find Toboe on the cot, surrounded by what was without a doubt the store's entire stock of hot water bottles. Tsume was kneeling at the side of the boy's bed, his arms resting on the bed, his head on top of them, fast asleep.

"Hmm, guess we should leave them be for now, eh, Kiba?" Hige whispered. Kiba nodded, and the two of them walked back out into the main room, pulling extra cots and blankets out from one of the lower shelves. It would be a night of comfort, warmth, and rest. Kiba figured everyone deserved it anyway. He covered all the windows of the outpost, shutting out all the light. Today was one day they wouldn't be woken by the sun. It was time for some long over due sleep.

--

AN: Well that was the newest chapter in Pain In Your Eyes. Hope everyone liked it! I'll try to keep up with the coordinating chapter names, and pump out these little short stories. Of course, it won't be that hard to start chapter names with "Pain of the…" since practically all these short stories will contain Hurt!Toboe, and Protective!Tsume. I'm glad to have 50 reviews, and I'm always looking for more! Also, feel free to PM me about the story, stories you might want me to read or Beta, or just to say hi and harass me for updates. (By the way, the last one is actually appreciated since its one of those PMs that got me to write this.) Hope everyone is having a great summer! Bye!


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